White House Turns to Internet to Combat "Disinformation"
Barack Obama is no stranger to spurious claims about his heritage, citizenship, and religious beliefs, but most of these claims have been met with little more than stolid dismissal by our secretly Muslim, terrorist-fist-bumping, Kenyan-born president. Start attacking the man's policies with deceptive chain e-mails and viral videos, though, and you might just find yourself on the losing side of a war with the most tech-savvy administration in our nation's history.
Recent weeks have seen the circulation of online videos and e-mails that White House director of new media, Macon Phillips, has called "scary," according to ABC news. These missives claim to "uncover" various details of Obama's health care plan. That it will eliminate private insurance. That everyone of Medicare age will be visited and asked how they wish to die. That elderly Americans will "be put out to pasture."
Unsurprisingly, the Obama administration has turned to the Web in order to combat these (in some cases) absurd accusations. A post at the White House Blog, titled 'Facts Are Stubborn Things' (a reference to our second president, John Adams), lays out the administration's defense against the apparent disinformation campaign. It even includes a YouTube video (above) of Linda Douglass, the communications director of the Health Reform Office, showing specific examples of the media cobbling together arguments from statements taken out of context.
The administration isn't just facing faceless conspiracy theorists however. In fact, one of the Obama health care plan's biggest, and craziest, critics has been the now former governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin. Palin took to her Facebook page last week, and with her first public comments since quitting governor, claimed that there would be an "Obama 'death panel'" that would decided if her parents or youngest child Trig, who has Down Syndrome, would be allowed to live. The offending lines seem to have been pulled, but not before plenty of commentators gave her "death panel" claim a beat-down with the facts.
Time will tell who will reign supreme in this viral battle for the hearts and minds of the American public, but given Obama's track record, his conservative opponents had better bring their 'A' game. [From: Political Punch and The White House Blog]
_thumbnail.jpg "Vintage Keyboards")
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
nyyank37 said 2:23PM on 8-10-2009
it's about time i just hope it isn't too little too late
Reply
kbonds2003 said 3:38PM on 8-10-2009
Anyone, who thinks that the universal health care plan isn't going to have unintended consequences, is off their rocker. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that once the government is the big dog on the healthcare block the little dogs will slowly starve. I have a question for anyone who wants government running their health care. Ever been to the DMV? Do you want to have a medical emergency and be treated like that? But I guess all the twenty-somethings, out there, really do think they will be young and beautiful forever. Its funny that we are worried about companies being to big to fail (I say let them fall) but not our government. What happens when our government gets overly bloated and financially strapped, an we depend on it for everything? Healthcare, retirement, education etc. I don't want to be dependent on anyone or anything. Least of all something as dangerous as a government.
Reply
hernandez.arima said 2:59PM on 8-13-2009
Grassly and Isaacson belie the Republicans' claim that they're acting in good faith. Obama should no longer be conned into thinking they want to help. He should go for a strong bill and go it alone and leave the nay-sayers here they belong, in the dust. This is not a chance to be missed.
worninshoes said 1:03PM on 8-16-2009
kbonds - forget not the INTENDED consequences written into this manifesto called government health care reform. The tide has "Switched" slightly today, but beware the cunning of tyrants intent upon undermining our countrymen.
Reply
rak310 said 1:22PM on 8-16-2009
kbonds - lest we forget, the are INTENDED consequences that imperil our foundation! Our freedom and liberty are at stake under seige. The solution to health insurance reform is much simpler than the tripe they're trying to sell. Where does health care arise in the Constitutional empowerment of the government, anyway?
Reply